Pool covers may be used for a variety of reasons, including (without limitation) providing thermal isolation for the water in a pool, reducing evaporation of the pool water and reducing the accumulation of debris in the pool water.
Floatable insulating pool covers that are adapted to sink to the bottom of the pool when not in use provide convenience to a pool owner. These types of floatable covers avoid the unwieldy work of removing pool covers from the water surface and reinstalling pool covers in place atop the water surface. Floatable insulating pool covers are known in the art. Such pool covers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,005 (Stifter); U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,320 (Karp); U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,763 (Kennedy); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,603 (Sernetz). These systems have a number of deficiencies which, it is presumed, have prevented them from gaining widespread acceptance among consumers.
There is a general desire to provide pool covers which overcome, or at least ameliorate, some of the deficiencies with these prior art systems.
A pool can be dangerous for children and others who are unable to swim. Pool covers that are insufficiently buoyant (in any localized region of the pool) to support the weight of a person who may fall onto the cover can exacerbate this danger. Even where a person who falls on the cover is capable of swimming, pool covers can cause danger by wrapping around the person and preventing the person from moving his or her limbs.
There is a general desire to provide pool covers which minimize the danger of drowning to a person who falls onto the pool cover.
Many regional and/or municipal authorities provide regulations in respect of pools and their covers. It is desirable to provide pool covers that comply with such regulations.